projector
UK: prəˈdʒɛktə | US: prəˈdʒɛktər
n. a device that projects light or images onto a surface
n. a person who plans or designs projects
n. (archaic) a promoter or advocate of a scheme
The word "projector" originates from Latin proicere ("to throw forward"), combining pro- (forward) and jacere (to throw). The suffix -or denotes an agent or tool. Initially used in the 16th century to describe someone who proposes plans, it later evolved to refer to devices that "throw" images or light forward (early 20th century). The morphemes reflect the literal action of projection—physically or metaphorically advancing something.
The teacher used a projector to display the slideshow.
He was the chief projector behind the urban renewal initiative.
Modern projectors support 4K resolution.
The inventor demonstrated his new film projector in 1895.
Critics dismissed him as a mere projector of impractical ideas.